With the passing of Senate Bill 21-137, which includes $26 million in funding for care coordination and $18 million in funding for workforce development, we are doing everything but slowing down. The Co-Occurring Disability Behavioral Health Workgroup has a draft report of recommendations, and the Workforce Development Workgroup has made substantial progress in a short period of time. The Governor’s Office, our Executive Committee, and our contractor Health Management Associates have been working diligently to develop the model for the Behavioral Health Administration that will best serve Coloradans. People with lived experience are providing input on their vision for care coordination.

There is so much happening that I don’t have enough room in this newsletter to tell you all about it. In this current phase, the work feels different, and I credit that to the fact that we have moved from eight subcommittee meetings and two main Task Force meetings a month to focusing on implementing the recommendations that those groups developed.

Over the past two years, we have invited you to participate in a variety of ways to provide feedback and input on the ongoing implementation of the blueprint. We expect that to continue. Going forward, we will also work hard to coordinate the various opportunities to ease the burden on you and still enable you to participate. We’ll need your engagement to keep the momentum going.

Onward, 
Summer Gathercole
Senior Advisor for Behavioral Health Transformation

Senate Bill 21-137 Advances Behavioral Health Task Force Priority Recommendations

Senate Bill 21-137 includes $26 million in funding for care coordination and $18 million in funding for workforce development, both of which are BHTF priorities that were added to the bill in the final days of the session. The bill is now ready for the Governor’s signature, and the funding is slated to begin July 1.

We promised additional stakeholder opportunities on care coordination as part of the BHTF’s work, and the bill itself requires us to convene a working group of diverse stakeholders to solicit feedback and recommendations for care coordination implementation. If you are interested in participating in the stakeholder process, please complete this form. 

Some foundational work is already taking place through the state’s partnership with Health Management Associates (HMA), which is conducting nearly 20 interviews with 30 organizations that offer or support care coordination services in Colorado. 

The state also partnered with Civic Consulting Collaborative to bring together about 70 everyday Coloradans from across the state who weighed in on the state’s care coordination vision. Participants belonged to nearly 10 cultural groups—including ethnic, age, disability and LGBTQIA+ identities—and have lived through diverse experiences. These individuals are helping us stay focused on person-centered care and care coordination.

Colorado needs a culturally responsive and diverse behavioral health workforce to deliver high-quality healthcare access to all. Your voice will help us transform the system so that all people feel valued. If you're interested in this work, please join us for our next meeting on June 24 from 2-3:30 p.m. For questions, email Summer Gathercole. We hope to see you there! 

HMA is continuing to support the Behavioral Health Reform Executive Committee and the Governor’s Office in reaching a decision on the formation of the BHA. Based on the chosen solutions, HMA will deliver a detailed implementation plan to the Executive Committee and the Governor’s Office this summer. 

This slide deck includes an overview of themes, takeaways, quotes and questions from the engagement sessions. You can access the deck on our change management webpage.  

Thank you to everyone who continues to share ideas, questions and concerns to the HMA team through the webpage’s feedback form. Please continue to do so!

More Information

Visit the change management webpage for up-to-date information about the project, FAQs that are updated weekly, opportunities to engage, and access to resources in English and Spanish. And don’t forget to check out the project dashboard highlighting our progress to-date, including individuals engaged, types of diverse perspectives represented, FAQ of the week and more.

State of Reform: Colorado receives $94 million federal funding boost for behavioral health services

Denver Post: Nearly 9,000 more Coloradans died in 2020 than normal as fatalities jumped 23.5% during pandemic

Colorado Sun: Youth mental health was front and center in Colorado’s legislative session. But the work is only a “down payment.”

State of Reform: Development of Behavioral Health Administration underway in Colorado

Colorado Public Radio: Colorado Will Cash In $4 Billion Of Federal COVID Relief Money To Invest In Mental Health, Affordable Housing And More

Colorado Springs Gazette: Two new three-digit numbers will connect Coloradans to mental health help

The final report will include recommendations that support expanding access to tele-behavioral health as outlined in the BHTF blueprint. This work also aligns with the implementation of SB 19-222. 
 

HCPF Federal Spending Plan Submitted

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing submitted the proposed American Rescue Plan Act Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Enhanced Match Spending Plan to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Over the next three years, the Department will use this additional infusion of short-term funds to increase access to HCBS for Medicaid beneficiaries—benefits which provide older adults and individuals with disabilities, including those with behavioral health needs, with critical services in their homes and communities. The Department anticipates receiving feedback from CMS on the proposed plan by the end of July.

There are many ways to support this work:

• Keep an eye on our webpage for upcoming meetings.

• Encourage friends and colleagues to subscribe to this newsletter.

• Send an idea or suggestion to cdhs_bhtf@state.co.us.